image rights

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid left-back Marcelo on Tuesday admitted defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of nearly half a million euros, according to a judicial source.

Brazilian international Marcelo admitted to tax fraud in court in Alcobendas, on the outskirts of Madrid, after being accused using front companies to hide 490,917 euros ($579,348) he earned from image rights in the 2013 financial year, a sum which he will now pay back.

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid left-back Marcelo on Tuesday admitted defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of nearly half a million euros, according to a judicial source.

Brazilian international Marcelo admitted to tax fraud in court in Alcobendas, on the outskirts of Madrid, after being accused using front companies to hide 490,917 euros ($579,348) he earned from image rights in the 2013 financial year, a sum which he will now pay back.

The Argentine, one of the world’s best-paid players, and his father had been convicted of hiding image rights royalties in offshore accounts and had been given jail terms of 21 and 15 months respectively.

Barcelona (AFP) – A Spanish court said Friday it had replaced with fines the prison sentences handed down for tax fraud to Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi and his father.

Messi, the best-paid footballer in the world according to the club, and his father had been convicted of hiding image rights royalties in offshore accounts and had been given jail terms of 21 and 15 months respectively.

Barcelona (AFP) – A Spanish court said Friday it had replaced with fines the prison sentences handed down for tax fraud to Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi and his father.

Messi, the best-paid footballer in the world according to the club, and his father had been convicted of hiding image rights royalties in offshore accounts and had been given jail terms of 21 and 15 months respectively.

Pozuelo de Alarcón (Spain) (AFP) – Football super-agent Jorge Mendes arrived in court near Madrid Tuesday for questioning over a probe into striker Radamel Falcao’s alleged tax evasion, just one of his clients to fall foul of Spain’s judiciary.

As Spanish authorities tighten the net around footballers such as Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, another Mendes client suspected of fiscal fraud, their advisers and agents are coming under scrutiny too.

Pozuelo de Alarcón (Spain) (AFP) – Football super-agent Jorge Mendes arrived in court near Madrid Tuesday for questioning over a probe into striker Radamel Falcao’s alleged tax evasion, just one of his clients to fall foul of Spain’s judiciary.

As Spanish authorities tighten the net around footballers such as Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, another Mendes client suspected of fiscal fraud, their advisers and agents are coming under scrutiny too.

Madrid (AFP) – Footballing super-agent Jorge Mendes, who manages Cristiano Ronaldo among others, has been summoned before a Spanish court as part of the probe into Colombian striker Radamel Falcao’s alleged tax evasion, legal sources said on Wednesday.

Barcelona (AFP) – Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering operation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team, a police spokesman told AFP.

The operation was mainly carried out in the north-eastern region of Catalonia and for the moment “there are four or five detainees, including the former president of Barca, Sandro Rosell, and his wife,” the police spokesman said.

Barcelona (AFP) – Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering operation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team, a police spokesman told AFP.

The operation was mainly carried out in the north-eastern region of Catalonia and for the moment “there are four or five detainees, including the former president of Barca, Sandro Rosell, and his wife,” the police spokesman said.

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish prosecutors said Tuesday they had filed lawsuits against Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao for allegedly hiding millions of euros in income from the tax office.

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish prosecutors said Tuesday they had filed lawsuits against Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao for allegedly hiding millions of euros in income from the tax office.

London (AFP) Manchester United were locked in a second day of talks with Jose Mourinho's agents on Wednesday, hammering out a deal to sweep the controversial Portuguese boss into Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of at least £10 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) but issues remain over image rights, Sky News television reported.

London (AFP) Manchester United were locked in a second day of talks with Jose Mourinho's agents on Wednesday, hammering out a deal to sweep the controversial Portuguese boss into Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of at least £10 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) but issues remain over image rights, Sky News television reported.

London (AFP) Manchester United were locked in a second day of talks with Jose Mourinho's agents on Wednesday, hammering out a deal to sweep the controversial Portuguese boss into Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of at least £10 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) but issues remain over image rights, Sky News television reported.

London (AFP) Manchester United were locked in a second day of talks with Jose Mourinho's agents on Wednesday, hammering out a deal to sweep the controversial Portuguese boss into Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager has agreed personal terms on a three-year deal with a likely annual salary of at least £10 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) but issues remain over image rights, Sky News television reported.

London (AFP) Jose Mourinho's contract negotiations to become the next manager of Manchester United appear to hinge on the rights to the use of his image on merchandise, British media reported on Thursday.

The rights are owned by his former club Chelsea and, while they are not expected to stop his hiring, they have drawn out the talks with Manchester United this week, the reports cited club sources as saying.

London (AFP) Jose Mourinho's contract negotiations to become the next manager of Manchester United appear to hinge on the rights to the use of his image on merchandise, British media reported on Thursday.

The rights are owned by his former club Chelsea and, while they are not expected to stop his hiring, they have drawn out the talks with Manchester United this week, the reports cited club sources as saying.

Chelsea have agreed a Â£49.3 million fee for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, according to the Italian side's official radio station Radio Marte. In a statement released last night, the station said: "We have received news in the office from a very reliable source that Napoli have sealed a deal with Chelsea for Cavani's sale.

Chelsea have failed in their attempts to have a billboard mocking misfiring striker Fernando Torres removed. The poster is part of a series of Paddy Power adverts focusing on under-performing Premier League imports. Backed by a TV campaign, the adverts suggest the players should seek alternative employment until they start pulling their weight on the [.

There has been some very bad news for football over the last week. The fact that Glasgow Rangers
have been put into administration, by the club's owner, is an indication of the sorry state the
Beautiful Game is in both financially and in terms of management.

This latest occurrence has come about as a result of Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
demanding up to Â£50 million in unpaid taxes and National Insurance contributions due on money paid
into Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs).

ESPNsoccernet is reporting that Brazilian stat Neymar has agreed to join Real Madrid next summer
from Santos for around Â£53m.

At 19, Neymar is one of the brightest talents in world football having shone for his club Santos
and also on the international stage for Brazil. Yesterday he was included on the shortlist for the
World Footballer Of The Year.

Interesting piece from the guys at Confused.com who provide insurance, estimating that Wayne
Rooney earns around Â£22 million every year and stating it would cost just over Â£300,000 per year
to insure Rooney himself...

Check out the graphic below to take a look at Rooney's salary, image rights, commercial
endorsements and publishing earnings.

There are two piecesÂ ofÂ goodÂ financialÂ news forÂ Newcastle United today. Ashley and Llambias -
have the club in excellent financial health The first is that Newcastle areÂ the latest club to
settle a dispute over image rights with the UK tax authorities. Payments classed as image rights
rather than as wages are taxed at a Â corporate tax of 26% [.

According to several tabloids and not so tabloids, the Inter midfielder might be on his way to
Old Trafford in the next 48 hours. The rumours have been aided and abetted by Sneijder who in an
interview admitted he was interested in joining Utd but also said that there was no official
contact between both clubs.

The Rest

In a bid to protect themselves for the kind of owner-fuelled "branding" issues that have plagued the likes of the Cardiff Dragonbirds and Hull City Powertigers in recent times, Luton Town have handed their supportersthe legal right to veto any proposed future change made to the club's image.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has denied reports that he has signed a contract extension with the club. Spanish daily Marca reported today that the Portuguese attacker has signed a new five-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu. Under the headline 'White For Life', the paper claimed that Ronaldo has agreed a â‚¬17 million-a-season deal with [.

Remember the Paddy Power billboard situated next to Stamford Bridge that mocked Fernando Torres? After a protracted legal process, Chelsea eventually won the right to have the advert removed on the grounds that it damaged Torres' image rights. But just days after the local council agreed and pulled the billboard down, it's back in digital [.

Quite a funny news story circulating today, with John Terry being used to front a "quit smoking"
campaign in India. Whats funnier is that JT has no knowledge whatsoever of being used in this
campaign, so the company that owns his image rights are understandably trying to resolve the
problem.
John Terry's blurred image features on the front of the pack of cigarettes, urging people to stop
smoking.

Pato's girlfriend, whom we affectionately love to call 'Babs' for purely shortcut purposes, was in
Miami last week to attend Emporio Armani's celebration of Art Basel's 10th anniversary. Thanks to a
few paps who we actually don't mind receiving e-mails from, we know that Ms B and the Voronins
weren't the only ones occupying the sunshine state recently; Samuel Eto'o & fam spent some time
letting their hair down (Georgette let her top down) whilst on vacay in Miami Beach.

It's completely normal for a successful footballer to own more than two phones, as we've
witnessed from CarlesÂ PuyolÂ last Friday. Of course, when you're signing a
multi-million dollar contract with Santos (DESCULPE,Flo'Rida
Perez!), you've gotta put your goods on show as Neymar is doing here!

Joe Bloggs has a secret. An unassuming softly spoken man, he would never stand out from a crowd
as he stepped down from the Victoria tube train and made his way to one of the most iconic
landmarks in North West London. Joe after all realises that without his contribution, some tens of
thousands of Arsenal fans would never be able to enjoy their matchday and stand the chance of
winning a prize which is announced by Arsene Wenger every half-time at the Emirates Premier league
games.